THE PACK TIGHTENS!

I recently posted a list of the best efforts--in each event--from the teams that comprise the girls' Fishers Sectional field. Well, some of those times have dropped this week as the tournament beckons six days away.

Keep in mind that the list only includes each school's TOP performer. More on that later.

Here's an updated list on the girls' side of the ledger (defending sectional champions are in italics):

200 Medley Relay (IHSAA State 1:51.03)

1. YORKTOWN 1:52.44
2. Fishers 1:52.95
3. Hamilton Southeastern 1:53.82
4. Oak Hill 2:07.43
5. Pendleton Heights 2:13.38
6. Anderson 2:17.75

200 Free (IHSAA State Cut 1:54.79)

1. Emily Moser, Fishers 1:56.13
2. Caroline Thomas, Hamilton Southeastern 2:00.82
3. LAUREN ELSTON, YORKTOWN 2:02.70
4. Micalah Booher, Pendleton Heights 2:05.97
5. Samantha Mauk, Oak Hill 2:07.95
6. Jessica Simmons, Anderson 2:25.98
7. Sarah Bournique, Marion 2:42.87

200 IM (IHSAA State Cut 2:09.82)

1. Abbegayle Schneider, Fishers 2:10.17
2. LARAH BEAVER, YORKTOWN 2:12.66
3. Gabrielle Mazero, Hamilton Southeastern 2:18.59
4. Madison Kordes, Pendleton Heights 2:25.55
5. Samantha Mauk, Oak Hill 2:26.35
6. Tori Brown, Anderson 2:43.53
7. Kayla Endsley, Marion 3:12.17

50 Free (IHSAA State Cut 24.35)

1. Caroline Thomas, Hamilton Southeastern 24.62
2. Chloe Susdorf, Fishers 24.66
3. JESSICA EXTINE, YORKTOWN 25.14
4. Melissa Ford, Oak Hill 25.42
5. Sasha Artis, Marion 27.28
6. Katey Stout, Pendleton Heights 27.79
7. Anna Gustin, Anderson 29.46

1-Meter Diving (No IHSAA Standard)

1. Shelby Bartlett, Fishers 484.54
2. Hannah Cochran, Pendleton Heights 463.40
3. Jaya Brown, Hamilton Southeastern 425.50
4. Kendra Holcom, Oak Hill 292.20
5. SAM MAHON, YORKTOWN 199.20

100 Fly (IHSAA State Cut 58.20)

1. Heather Cunningham, Fishers 59.41
2. JESSICA EXTINE, YORKTOWN 1:01.25
3. Caroline Thomas, Hamilton Southeastern 1:01.52
4. Melissa Ford, Oak Hill 1:06.46
5. Mason Mills, Pendleton Heights 1:13.46
6. Anna Gustin, Anderson 1:22.50
7. Sarah Bournique, Marion 1:29.00

100 Free (IHSAA State Cut 52.99)

1. Caroline Thomas, Hamilton Southeastern 53.81
2. LARAH BEAVER, YORKTOWN 54.31
3. Emily Moser, Fishers 55.10
4. Melissa Ford, Oak Hill 57.04
5. Sasha Artis, Marion 1:00.87
6. Breana Oaldon, Pendleton Heights 1:02.78
7. Esther Mishler, Anderson 1:07.27

500 Free (IHSAA State Cut 5:09.94)

1. Emily Moser, Fishers 5:05.99
2. Caroline Thomas, Hamilton Southeastern 5:21.84
3. Micalah Booher, Pendleton Heights 5:36.76
4. BAILEY WINDELL, YORKTOWN 5:46.61
5. Hailee Scheffer, Oak Hill 6:17.48
6. Jessica Simmons, Anderson 6:30.21
7. Aletheia Burritt, Marion 7:21.55

200 Free Relay (IHSAA State Cut 1:40.09)

1. Fishers 1:40.66
2. YORKTOWN 1:40.73
3. Hamilton Southeastern 1:41.21
4. Oak Hill 1:45.88
5. Pendleton Heights 1:51.43
6. Marion 2:03.04
7. Anderson 2:11.45

100 Back (IHSAA State Cut 58.81)

1. LARAH BEAVER, YORKTOWN 58.12
2. Courtney Mudd, Hamilton Southeastern 1:01.29
3. Heather Cunningham, Fishers 1:01.33
4. Morgan Tinkel, Oak Hill 1:09.41
5. Samantha Diedrich, Marion 1:14.82
6. Esther Mishler, Anderson 1:15.72

100 Breast (IHSAA State Cut 1:07.19)

1. Abbegayle Schneider, Fishers 1:07.81
2. JESSICA EXTINE, YORKTOWN 1:10.66
3. Erica Willey, Hamilton Southeastern 1:11.40
4. Hannah Brown, Oak Hill 1:18.96
5. Tori Brown, Anderson 1:19.40
6. Jessica Luckey, Marion 2:26.55

400 Free Relay (IHSAA State Cut 3:39.64)

1. Hamilton Southeastern 3:40.25
2. Fishers 3:40.45
3. YORKTOWN 3:48.90
4. Oak Hill 4:01.98
5. Anderson 4:23.80
6. Marion 5:06.68

As you can see, a real donnybrook is shaping up in the two short relays. Last year, Fishers, Yorktown and Hamilton Southeastern finished 1-2-3 in the 200 Medley Relay, ALL under the state cut. The Lady Tigers tied the YHS record of 1:49.91 that day, and all four girls on that squad are back this season. The addition of freshman stud Lauren Elston, along with Caroline Grasso, Jessica Extine and Larah Beaver, gives Yorktown a legitimate shot at a sectional championship in this event. I predicted before the season began that if these girls all stayed healthy, they would shatter the school record. I STILL believe that'll happen, and it's likely to take a time under 1:48.00 to stand atop the medal stand. Look for at least one 1:47 to show up on the scoreboard a week from tomorrow!

You can expect the same three schools to duke it out in the 200 Free Relay as well. They went 1-2-3 (in the same order) in 2011, all again well below the state cut, and the Tigers in red needed a 1:39.23 to edge the Tigers in green (1:39.82). The quartet of Grasso, Elston, Extine and Beaver are ready to break out a big can--their best combined lifetime 50 Free splits leave them with a projected, cumulative time of 1:37.27. That time would have been fast enough for 3rd place--at the 2011 STATE MEET. They are in position to make a serious run at the YHS record of 1:36.36 established by Kelsi Hall, Jenna Long, Maggie Bird and Jill Lockhart in at the 2006 State Meet. For the record, the splits six years ago were Hall 24.08, Long 24.30, Bird 23.74, and Lockhart 24.24. Let's hope the 2012 Tigers turn on the jets and set the water on fire in Fishers on February 4th!

A couple of Yorktown girls have made late surges on this list individually, thanks to outstanding performances against Muncie Central on Senior Night. Lauren Elston's 2:02.70 in the 200 Free has her making some noise there. And fellow stud Jessica Extine has leaped to 1:10.66 in the 100 Breast (she's starting to look like her big brother in that event)!

Of course, there are three MAJOR factors that will determine just how this sectional plays out. The most important is the lineup--coaches had until 4:00 p.m. yesterday to submit their sectional lineups. The psych sheet will make for some very interesting reading. The IHSAA only allows each athlete to compete in a maximum of four events; either two relays and two individual events, or three relays and one individual event.

The other two factors are far less certain--one, how each swimmer responds to the nebulus tapering process; and two, how each athlete responds to the additional pressure of competing in a meet of this magnitude. Freshmen and non-club athletes who haven't swum at a high level before will have to deal with a LOT more stress next week.

This is a great time, though--the Championship Season is all about the best of the best, laying it ALL on the line. This is the strongest Yorktown girls team since the 2006 Tigers were the state runners-up. These girls have the physical talent, toughness and tenacity to drop a lot of jaws in the next two weeks. They are literally FOUR MORE GREAT SWIMS away from doing some very special things!

GO TIGERS!